Check out the wash-up from the weekend’s VSDCA finals wash-out

Preston ends a 16-year drought, Caulfield looks dangerous and Altona is incredibly unlucky. Check out the wash-up from the weekend’s VSDCA wash-out.

Josh Agar in action for Caulfield. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Melbourne’s weather caused carnage in the Formula 1 and suburban cricket.

Five of the six Subbies qualifying finals were washed out on the weekend with Caulfield’s quick-fire smashing of Oakleigh the only result.

As a result seasons ended in heart-breaking fashion, perhaps none more so than Altona’s.

Check out the wash-up from the weekend’s wash-out.

Liam Ingram celebrates a wicket for Preston. Picture: Andrew Batsch

PRESTON EYEING HISTORY

It’s not the way the club wanted it to happen but Preston is back in a VSDCA semi-final for the first time since 2008-09. The Bullants were in a strong position to claim their first finals win in almost 25 years before the qualifying final with Plenty Valley at Preston City Oval was washed out on Sunday. Skipper Vaib Deshpande (3-11) and predecessor Kyle Walsh (3-48) led the charge with the ball as Plenty Valley was dismissed for 176 on Saturday. Tobias Raper top-scored with 48, while Karthik Singh scored 39. Preston went to stumps in the box seat at 0-68. However, the rain arrived on Sunday and it was a miracle any play was possible. The two teams managed to get 15 overs in with Shakeel Ahmed top-scoring with 64 and Greg Maratos 38. The hosts reached 3-137 before play was called off.

Preston has made finals just twice in the 16 years since that semi-final but are undefeated this season in a superb turnaround. Deshpande said it was a huge opportunity for the club. “It’s definitely been awhile but I think this year the club has really bonded together and come very far,” he said. “Three out of the four teams made finals, unfortunately the Thirds and Fourths couldn’t go on. “It augurs well with all the young players we’ve had this year and the people coming back to the club, it’s really exciting. “Obviously the Ones making it to the semi-final, it’s a fantastic opportunity that has been built on some really strong years of growth.”

Preston will host Brunswick in the semi-final, which they beat by eight wickets earlier in the season. Deshpande scored an unbeaten century in that match – 101 from 119 deliveries. “Brunswick have been a strong side, so it will be a tough game and we don’t expect anything less,” Deshpande said. “We’re well prepared to take on whoever we play, just one game at a time is something I’ve been reiterating to my players all year.” Noble Park will host St Bernard’s in the other semi-final. The Snowdogs were in a strong position after day one of their final against Brunswick, posting 215 all out. Jevon Kett top-scored with 40, while Blake Manassa (35) and Tom Winchester (38 not out) made critical late-order runs. Ameya Gharat was the Wicks’ leading bowler with 4-76.

Brighton wicketkeeper Jacques Augustin and Caulfield batter Joshua Agar. Picture: Valeriu Campan

GIANT-KILLERS LOOM LARGE

Caulfield is looming as the giant-killer of the South-West section finals, with Fielders coach Lachlan Graf declaring his side was “starting to click”. After squeaking into finals in sixth spot, Caulfield stunned ladder-leader Oakleigh in the first final on the weekend. After rolling the Oaks for 67, a “focused” Caulfield coasted to 2-106 by stumps on Saturday — a first innings victory. The wet weather on Sunday prevented any further play.

“It was good,” Graf said. “We planned it. You sort of talk about it at the start of the week when you look at the forecast and obviously being the lower placed side you’ve got to force a result on day one. “We would have won the toss and bowled. Luckily they won the toss and batted. It worked out.” Graf grabbed 3-8 off seven overs to set the standard as Caulfield’s bowling unit went to work. Oli Hayes (2-25), Andrew King (2-12) and Jacob Thorne (3-22) also delivered telling spells. “Just from our pre-game chat we were all on the same page, we knew what we were there for, everyone was pretty focused,” Graf said. “The boys showed up, we fielded well, we took all our catches, we bowled beautifully. It was just one of those days.”

With the bat, Caulfield had 37 overs before stumps and, despite losing an early wicket, looked untroubled with Thorne (32no), James Crosthwaite (32no) and Josh Agar (34) showing the way. Caulfield faces Brighton in this weekend’s semi-final and Graf said his side would take confidence into the match. “Brighton will be a challenge, at their ground too,” he said. “They play their ground pretty well but internally we’re confident. Throughout the whole year we never really fancied ourselves as a one-day team, so two-day cricket is where we feel most comfortable and we’re going to back ourselves from ball one of every two day and we play. “We feel like things are starting to click, they probably haven’t clicked all year, they’re starting to click now. It’s a good time to be coming to that point.” Oakleigh lives to fight another day, and will face Hoppers Crossing in the second week of the finals.

LET IT BURN, ROOS

The upset of the North-East season will linger longer for Mt Waverley. An entire off-season, in fact. Suffering the unlikeliest of defeats to lowly-placed Endeavour Hills in the final round cost the Roos fourth spot on the North-East group ladder and the consequences came home to roost on Sunday as the rain tumbled down. The drop to fifth set up a match-up with the heavy-hitting Noble Park and the Bulls posted 9-317 on Saturday. Noble captain Janaka Liyanabadalge (62) led the way, while Sahan Perera (54), Nilochana Perera (58) and Pawan Edirisinghe (60) also all scored half-centuries. Facing a daunting chase to keep their season alive, the Kangas didn’t even get a chance with the match abandoned due to the wet weather. It could be a long off-season for the Roos as they contemplate what might have been. Having produced a stellar season, Shenuka De Silva finished with 3-88 – taking his season tally past 40 – while Tejas Angadi finished with identical figures.

THAT’S STIFF

Altona will probably consider itself the unluckiest of all teams in action this weekend after being knocked out of VSDCA South-East finals. It had finished fourth on the ladder, securing a semi-final with Brighton, but with no result and Caulfield’s stunning win over minor premier Oakleigh, the A’s season is over. Altona was in a strong position after rolling the Tonners for 167, thanks largely to Harry Armstrong’s unbeaten 54 off 86. Adam Yates was the pick of the bowlers with 4-42. So it entering day two with confidence but Melbourne’s weather had other ideas. With constant rain Altona reached 1-19 before the game was abandoned. Hoppers Crossing is through to the semi-finals as fifth-placed Malvern was sent packing due to the weather. The second-placed Cats had a battle on their hands after being rolled for 223. Malvern was in the box seat at 5-176 when the game was abandoned.